Multiple lamp socket



July 15 1924. 1,501,611

S. G. MALBY ET AL MULTIPLE LAMP SOCKET Filed Oct. 29. 1921 WWW 1 \1 J I 17E J mM 15 Z2 23 j Snow wow M flziz/iffzu cww 1 hum/M Patented July 15, 1924.

UNlTED TATE RATENT @FWQE.

SET E G. MALBY, 0F WODD'MONT, AND NATHANIEL WARREN SPAULDING, OF AN SONIA, CONNECTICUT, ASSIG-NORS TO CHARLES H. JOCKM'US, 0F ANSONIA, GONNECTICUT.

MULTIPLE LAMP SOCKET.

Application filed Qetober 29, 1921.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, SETH G. MALnY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Woodmont, Connecticut, and NATHAniEL VVARREN SPAULDING, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Ansonia, county of New Haven, State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Multiple Lamp Sockets, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to lamp sockets of the multiple type having a housing enclosing the several internal elements thereof.

An important object of the invention is i to provide a socket of the type mentioned in which the various elements thereof are so constructed as to make possible the provision of a strong, durable, and compact structure which is inexpensive to manufacture, easily assembled, and reliable in operation.

A further object of the invention is to so construct, arrange and proportion the various internal elements of the device, exclusive of the housing, that they may be held to;

gether in a self-sustaining cooperative rela-- tion as a single electrical unit independently of the associated casing which serves only as an insulating means rendering the device safe and reliable in use.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following descrip tion taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which;

Figure 1 is a view in elevation, showing the various internal elements of the device assembled in a cooperative relation as a single unit.

Figure 2 is a central longitudinal sectional view through the unit, one half or section of the casing being associated therewith.

Figure 3 is a sectional view of an assembled device embodying my invention, the section being taken through the device in a plane intersecting the various elements thereof substantially on the line 33 of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 5 indicates an insulating housing or casing which is composed of two substantially identical sections or halves 6. These sections are each provided with projections 7 which are recessed as shown in Figure 2, to form contact shell-receiving openings 8, when the sections are united. jointure of the projections 7, the sections 6 At the junction or- Serial "No. 511,275.

intimate face to face engagement with each other. The sections 6 are, further provided with abutments 12, which may be said to constitute a portion of the projections 9, the abutments being provided with angularly disposed faces 13 against which certain elements of the internal unit hereinafter referred to, are adapted to rest when the device is assembled.

lVithin the openings 8 are arranged a pair of screw threaded contact shells 14 which are adapted for the reception of the screw threaded portion of an ordinary electric lamp or any of the conventional types of attachment plugs. The screw threaded contact shells 1 1 are supported and retained within the openings 8 by means of contact shell supports 15 which are constructed of any suitable insulating material such as porcelain or the like and spaced an appreciable distance from each other as shown in Figure 2. A pair of conductor arms 16 having inturned arcuate shaped feet 1'] are suitably secured to the supports 15, as by means of screws 17 shown in Figure 3, said feet being so disposed as to electrically engage the inturned flanges 18, which are formed at the inner ends of the contact shells 14:. Both sections 6 are provided with grooves or channels 19 which are shaped to receive the contact arms which are completely enclosed by the casing 5, except for their outer ends which are bent to intimately engage the inner surface of the outer contact 10 and are further bent at their extreme ends to provide inwardly projecting feet 20 adapted for intimate contact with the end or bottom 21 of the outer contact.

As a means for retaining the supports 15 in their proper position and in firm engagement with the abutments 12, we provide a contact plate 22 which is bent into the form of a yoke, the outer ends of which are maintained in intimate engagement with the outer faces of the supports 15 and bent to provide central contacts 23 adapted to engage the central contact of an ordinary electric lamp or an" conventional type of attachment plug. 'l he contact plate 22 is retained in position upon the outer'faces of the supports 15 by means of an elongated centrally disposed conductor stem 24 which is arranged within grooves 25 formed in the projections 9 of both sections 6. The conductor stem 24c is, at it juter end screw threaded as shown, and i' adapted to receive thereon a cap 26 which is formed of any suitable insulating material, such as porcelain, and provided with a depending lug 27 adapted to project through a slot 28 formed in the end of the outer contact 10 and engage the inwardly turned flanges 29 which are formed adjacent the slot 28 and engage the ends of the feet 20. The cap 26 is retained in position upon the end of the outer contact 10 by means of a nut 30 which when run down upon the screw threaded end of the stem 24, forces the cap 26 into intimate engagement with the end of the outer contact 10, and at the same time causes the lug 27, the opposite sides of which are slightly tapered as shown in Figures 1 and 2, to impinge upon the flanges 29 which are more or less yieldable and exert an outwardly directed thrust upon the feet 20, thereby forcing the arms 16 at their outer ends into intimate electrical contact with the inner surfaces of the outer contact 10.

In assembling the device, the supports together with the contact shells 1 1-, the yoke 22, and the central conductor stem 24 are placed in. one section of the casing, as shown in Figure 2, and with these elements so ar ranged, the other or complementary section is placed in position, whereupon the outer contact 10 is assembled after which the cap 26 is placed in position and locked by the nut 30 which is run down upon the screw threaded end of the central conductor stem. 24:. The elements constituting the electrical unit shown in Figure 1 together with the casing 5, are held securely in an assembled relation by the binding action. of the conductor stem 24 and with the several elements so united, a suitable bolt or screw is passed through the openings 11 formed in the sections 6, which functions cooperatively with the contact 10 to positively lock and retain the various elements in a proper assembled relation with respect to each other.

Inasmuch as, the several elements of the electrical unit, shown in Figure 1, are capable of being retained in self sustaining cooperative positions in the absence of the casing 5, it is apparent that they do not depend primarily upon the casing as a means for supporting them as is true in most devices of this particular type and therefore the casing which serves primarily as a means for protecting the several internal elements is relieved of any excessive strain or strains which would otherwise be exerted thereupon,

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. The combination in a multiple lamp socket of a casing having contact shcll-receiving openings formed therein, and pro- Vided with abutments, with a self sustain ing electrical unit comprising contact shell supports, contact shells associated with said supports and arranged within said open ings, a conductor plate engaging said supports and having its ends disposed in a coaxial relation with respect to said shells and adapted to function as central contacts therefor, the supports being arranged intermediate said abutments and said conductor plate, and tensioning means adapted to en ert a thrust upon said conductor plate when the same is assembled in the aforesaid combination of elements for maintaining said shell supports in firm engagement with said abutments.

2. The combination in a multiple lamp socket of a casing having contact shell-re ceiving openings formed therein. and provided with a protruding stem terminating within the casing in abutments having angularly disposed faces arranged in alinement with said openings, with a self-sustaining electrical unit comprising contact shell supports arranged in an angular relation with respect to each other, contact shells associated with said supports and arranged within said shell receiving opening ings, a yoke bent to engage the outer Laces of said supports, said yoke being bent at opposite ends to provide lamp contact eugaging elements, a conductor stem extending through said protruding stem and connected to said yoke, and tensioning means associated with said conductor stem and adapted to cooperate with said protruding stem to urge said yoke towards said abutments whereby said supports are clamped in their respective positions against said abut-merits.

3.. The combination in a multiple lamp socket of a casing having contact shell-receiving openings formed therein and provided with a protruding stem terminating within the casing in abutments having angular-1y disposed faces arranged in alinement with said openings, with a self-sustaining electrical unit comprising contact shell-supports, contact shells carried by said supports, conductor arms electrically con nected to said shells, an outer contact engaging the outer ends of said conductor arms, a cap disposed upon said outer contact, the outer contact having margins thereof disposed between the outer ends of said conductor arms and said cap, a conductor plate engaging said shell supports upon the outer faces thereof, and means in the form of a single conductor stern passed through said protruding stem and connecting said ion cap and said conductor plate whereby-said cap, outer contact, conductor arms, contact shell supports, and contact shells, are held together in a single unit.

4. The combination in a multiple lamp socket of a casing having contact shell-receiving openings formed therein and provided with a protrudingvstem terminating within the casing in abutments having angularly disposed faces arranged in alinement with said openings, with a self-sustaining electrical unit comprising contact shell supports, contact shells associated with said supports, conductor arms associated with said supports and having electrical connection with said contact shells, an outer contact encircling the outer ends of said conductor arms and adapted for engagement with the sides thereof, a cap associated with said outer contact and adapted to urge the outer ends of said conductor arms into intimate engagement therewith, a conductor plate supporting said contact shell supports,

and means in the form of a conductor stem passing through said protruding stem and. connecting sai contact plate and cap Whereby said cap, supports, conductor arms, outer contact, and contact plate are held together as a single unit.

5. The combination in a multiple lamp' socket of a casing with a self sustaining electrical unit comprising contact shell su ports, contact shells associated with said supports, conductor arms secured to said supports and electrically connected to said shells, said conductor arms having their ends bent to provide feet, an outer contact disposed upon the ends of said conductor socket of a casing with a self sustaining electrical unit comprising contact shell supports, contact shells associated with said supports, conductorarms electrically connected with. said shells, said conductor arms being bent at their outer ends to provide feet, an outer contact disposed upon said conductor arms, said outer contact being in the form of a slot-tedcu having inturned lips adjacent the slot t erein, a cap assdciated with said outer contact, said cap having a de ending tapered portion adapted to enter sald slot and force said lips into intimate contact with said feet and urge the outer ends of said conductor arms into intimate contact with said outer contact, a conductor plate engaging the outer faces of said supports, and a central conductor connecting said plate and cap together whereby said supports, arms, outer contact, cap, and contact shells are held together in a single unit.

In testimony whereof, we have ailixed our signatures to this specification.

SETH G. .MALBY. NATHANIEL WARREN SPAULDING. 

